Reporter Cassandra Hart finds herself racing against time in a world of deception, intrigue, and murder as she tries to stop a small, tightly knit group of international elites, who threaten democracy itself--in the name of "peace."
Three months before the Presidential election, reporter Cassandra Hart receives an urgent phone call from her father, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, who is on the verge of exposing a plot that will influence the election and change the course of history.
When Cassandra is forced to assume the quest, she races against time in a world of deception, intrigue, and murder that reaches from the nation's capitol to Tallahassee, Florida, where she discovers proof that the conspiracy extends to the highest levels of government. In collusion with the mass media, the conspirators are poised to gain ultimate control of the world's resources and governments--in the name of peace.
As those she trusts are killed, discredited, and otherwise taken from her, Cassandra is increasingly isolated but remains determined to expose the conspiracy, unaware that her wealthy and influential godfather is equally determined to stop her. Except for the help of Washington, D.C. detective Max Henshaw, she alone stands between democracy and the new world order.
Excerpt
"See that spider out there?" He nodded toward the window sill. "How carefully he weaves his web--back and forth, up and down. Right now, the web is nearly invisible. We wouldn't even know it was there except that we can see the spider. After awhile, though, it will become littered with insects and all kinds of offal. It will lose its invisibility as well as its ability to trap its prey." He spun around and looked at Max. "This town is full of spiders. Unfortunately, I've known a great many of them. But they almost always end up trapped in their own tangled webs."
Professional Reviews
Debut novel? You'll never know it.
Open to the first page of Kathleen Lamarche's award-winning, debut novel, "The Plot," and immediately the deft hand of the author reaches out, grabs you by the throat--and the heart--and pulls you in. From there Ms. Lamarche takes you on a wild ride of grand scale, detailing nothing less than the overthrow of the United States government.
This is a novel of high political intrigue and suspense, but it is not a new theme. Writers from Homer to Shakespeare to Sinclair Lewis and George Orwell have tackled the overthrow of kings and governments with varying degrees of success. But, there are three qualities that place "The Plot" a cut above. First, the story is plausible; more than plausible, it is convincing. With all due respect to Mr. Lewis, the skill with which Ms. Lamarche executes her plot will convince you that, yes, it can happen here.
The second quality is one of vision. Ms. Lamarche has sent us a warning, and whether by accident or design, her message is most timely and worth heeding. It is this: In our post- 9/11, ultra-security conscious environment, powerful people, whether well-intentioned or not, can change the course on which the founding fathers set this nation in ways we may dearly regret for years to come.
Third and finally, plausibility and vision aside, this book will touch you on a human level; you can't help but care for, and cheer for, the heroes, Cassie Hart and Max Henshaw, as hard as you fervently pray for the downfall of villain, Hamilton Bates.
Debut novel? You'll never know it. Buy "The Plot." You won't regret it.
Jim Cohn, reviewer, Readers Room, and
author of "The Take" (formerly entitled "The Y2Kaper"
Award-winning author Kathleen McCabe Lamarche crafts a thrilling story of political intrigue, murder, suspense and conspiracy.
Award-winning author Kathleen McCabe Lamarche crafts a thrilling story of political intrigue, murder, suspense and conspiracy.
Reporter Cassandra Hart receives a cryptic cell phone call from her Pulitzer-Prize-winning father as he awaits her arrival at Reagan Airport.
He hesitated a moment. “I can’t talk about it over the phone. Let’s just say, I’ve got a story that’s gonna blow the lid off the election… Cassie, I’m about to expose a conspiracy that’s poised to rock the foundations of this nation… This is the most important book I’ve ever written.”
Moments later, Cassie is devastated to arrive at the airport to find her father dead on the sidewalk. Touted as a hit-and-run accident, Cassie soon suspects there’s more to his death—and to her father—than she ever imagined. Left behind to unravel all the sinister clues, she turns to Washington D.C. police investigator, Max Henshaw, for there’s no one else, not even her godfather, that she can trust.
As the plot thickens, more dead bodies turn up…and they’re all people Cassandra’s close to. With heart-pounding deception and thrilling tyranny, she becomes entangled in a web of deceit from the doors of the nation’s capitol to Tallahassee, Florida. Could she hold the key to changing our nation’s future and influencing the upcoming Presidential election? No one seems to know, though Cassie races against time to uncover all the evidence left behind by her father in specific lost documents and the damning manuscript he was writing.
Soon, Internal Affairs, the FBI, the D.C. police and crooked politicians are plotting against—or in favor of?—Cassandra as she runs for her life while being branded a traitor.
This complex plot within a plot will leave you biting your nails and guessing wrong at every turn. The Plot, an award-winning, fast-paced mystery by author and journalist Kathleen McCabe Lamarche, is given further credence by her ties to law enforcement and politics. Don’t miss this one! You won’t be able to put it down until the surprising end!
Titania Ladley, reviewer, Women on Writing
The Plot is about the ultimate conspiracy...excellent....wonderful
Cassandra Hart is driving to the airport to meet her father when she sees an accident just inside the airport grounds. Worry turns to horror when she realizes that the victim is her father, Madison Hart. On the surface, it's a hit and run...but Cassie isn't so sure. She shares her father's journalistic instincts and can't help wondering if his death has something to do with the big story he was working on. A break-in at his house the day of the funeral makes it even more likely, especially since only his office was attacked. When she receives a phone call from Selena, a long time friend and assistant to her father, who gives her some hints to follow, she soon discovers that not only was she right, that her father was murdered, but the danger is far from over.
The Plot is about the ultimate conspiracy..."Trust no one" advises Madison in a letter, meant to be read post mortem, to his daughter. And Cassie has a hard time trusting anyone, for all the people around her seem to have secrets...Selena is being looked for by the FBI; her godfather, Hamilton Bates, seems to be overly concerned about her actions and has connections to an organization whose main idea seems to undermine everything the Bill of Rights stands for. The only person who seems to be on her side is Inspector Max Henshaw.
Lamarche has created a frightening conspiracy and woven it together with real things that we see happening in our government today, all to create a tense, page turning read. The fact that it seems so sensible, even when you're thinking about how impossible it would be to get all these nations to agree to such heinous plans, makes it all the more immediate. The idea that the Bill of Rights is being slowly eroded away is a very worrisome one...even though we all say it could never happen, the rules around us seem to become more strict, making us secretly wonder if it's not already been done. Also scary is how easily men like Hamilton Bates use their power to get the most horrible of things done.
The pacing is excellent...and the characters are wonderful. Cassie is very sensible...when she realizes that actions must be taken, she doesn't dwadle, or mope...she moves forward. She's tenacious, and smart. Selena is another wonderful character whose resourcefulness and warmth makes her a pleasure to be with. Max Henshaw is a great character because his intelligence and dedication to the truth...and to Cassie...makes his point of view a pleasure to read. A suspenseful, patriotic read.
Cindy Lynn Speer, reviewer, Midwest Book Reviews and Gotta Write Network
Charlie and Liz are recruited by the CIA to go through the Berlin Wall to East Germany in 1963. They need to look for information about a weapon of mass destruction and avoid the Stasi (East German Secret Police).
